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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Crooked DA's, Probation Officers, FBI?

Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins was a darling of the media - first African-American district attorney in Dallas, pioneer in cooperating with defense lawyers using DNA to prove defendants were wrongly convicted, friend of Barack Obama, featured on 60 Minutes, and so on. The Dallas Morning News reports:

"But his standing has taken a number of hits lately, marked by critics sniping about his management style, a rocky relationship with county commissioners and an unexplained visit last week to his office by members of the FBI public corruption unit.
Watkins’ handling of several high-profile incidents — including a troubled investigation against two constables — has caused some county officials to question his judgment and whether he’s damaged the office’s reputation. A growing number of experienced prosecutors have left or been fired, and some working in the courthouse are barred from giving out routine information about trials, or even their names, to reporters."

The luster is off. The Dallas Morning News reports that special agents from the FBI public integrity unit served a search warrant on Watkins' office last week. It may have something to do with $35MM in bail bonds that he has done nothing to collect for bail jumpers. Or it may be something else. Very interesting.

I have a theory: there are a lot more district attorneys who should be investigated, but not even the FBI has the resources to investigate them all. Texas has 250+ counties, and each district attorney and sheriff is like a feudal lord.

.....

Another interesting puzzle - Tanna Hurt Mozell Brown, the ex-198th Judicial District probation officer, was indicted by a 216th District grand jury on about 35 different felonies including theft, forgery, tampering with government documents, etc.
The San Antonio Express News reported:
"A former community supervision officer, Tanna Mozel Tyler Hurt, also known as Tanna Brown, was indicted Monday on dozens of felony charges of embezzlement of fees and restitution paid to her by probationers.
“It's a shame a public servant did what she did,” Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said of Hurt, 45, who resigned in September after six years with the 198th Judicial District Community Supervision and Corrections Department. She was the director of the county's juvenile detention center before moving to the adult probation job.
Hurt didn't cooperate with the investigation, which Hierholzer said showed that since 2007 she'd pocketed at least $24,000 in cash and money orders from probationers who reported to her."
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Former-Kerr-County-probation-officer-indicted-961623.php#ixzz1SbvNN9HC
The indictments were handed down in January. Since then, almost nothing has happened in her case. The Kerr County District Clerk website shows no motions filed by her attorney, and other than the arraignment, no hearings. She was indicted in Kerrville, lives in Kerrville, but was allowed to self-report to the Kimble County sheriff in Junction, and was almost immediately released on bond.

Tanna Mozel Tyler Hurt, a/k/a Tanna Brown was part of the Sutton/Prohl crew. I wonder if the FBI has talked to her? Sutton and Prohl were a start, but the cancer wasn't excised.

2 comments:

  1. Tanna Brown always had it out for everyone...with my mother in tears & 2 yr old daughter who hadn't even been born when my crime was committed Tanna sternly presented her argument....she openly lied to the court about me & not once looked me in the eye...I was sent off to prison for almost 2 yrs on a violation another officer said I didn't deserve...My crime was committed in January of 2007..Even after prison in 2012 I'm still paying 100 dollars a month for the fines....I was told this is called cumulative punishment but it would cost me just as much as I owe to fight it off & probably lose anyhow. Tanna deserves everything they can throw at her..I only wish even then she could feel what I'm sure she put many through.....unfortunately we all know after dealing personally with her she's an entitled piece of work that one...it's a horrible shame she was given the opportunity as a trusted servant of the people & even though mistakes are made by many, she found disgusting pleasure from making it harder for us to overcome. May God be with all whose families are affected by this & May God bless us with the compassion of understanding All are human & All make mistakes.....but the only way we truly learn is to be held accountable for our actions big or small

    Possession of a Controlled Substance > 1 gram offense January 2007....Felony Conviction.....May 3rd 2010

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  2. Does anyone know if her husband (currently my probation officer in neighboring county) was aware of her crimes at the time she committed then? Or if he too committed such crimes in kerr county as well?

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